What's it like to be a full-time mother, full-time high school English teacher, part-time college English instructor, part time graduate student and still find time to train? My goal is to qualify for Western States someday. Stay tuned ....

Friday, March 21, 2008

It's been awhile and people are beginning to wonder if the Runnerchik has hung up her running shoes for good. I haven't, although they have not seen as much action as they did in 2007.

Shortly after CIM I went to see my Sport Medicine doctor who promptly ordered an MRI of my right foot which a couple of weeks later showed that I had a stress fracture on my right foot precisely where I had been having all the pain. His recommendation was what it had been last July - that I back off on the training and allow my foot to heal. I did not follow his advice last July and went and ran the San Francisco Marathon and bombed it BIG time. Then I went and ran CIM almost five months later having trained VERY hard between August and December. My foot couldn't have healed had it wanted to..... this time I decided I had better follow doctor's orders.

With the disappointment of CIM, I took some time to really put things in perspective. I did not stop running but backed off to about 15 - 20 miles a week which to most of us serious runners is not serious running. I had no choice though. It was either that or end up not running for a VERY long time. So .... I have spent quite a bit of time in the gym running on the treadmill (helps with the impact), as well as lifting weights. I know how a lot of you runners feel about lifting weights but I am OK with gaining a bit of "weight" in order to have a strong upper body. I know it slows me down a bit but I feel a lot better having a strong upper body. I despise running on the treadmill and I usually only last about an hour before I just have to get out of the gym. I don't mind going there to lift weights but I do not enjoy running on the treadmill. A chik's gotta do what a chik's gotta do.....

During these last 3 months the weather in northern California has been very cold and windy and just pretty miserable. Having my gym membership has helped because otherwise I might not have run at all. For those of you that know me, you know I hate running in the wind and lately we have had very few windless or warm days. I have run outside off and on especially on days where the sun has dared to show up but mostly I have been in the gym. Being outside is always more invigorating and I have run outside any chance I got. The bottom line though is I have spent the majority of the last three months working out in the gym and I am looking forward to running full time outside again. This week I have run 16 miles already(outside) and am planing on running about another 15 between Friday and Saturday. If I can accomplish that I will feel much better about how these last three months have gone.

In mid February I had a second MRI due to knee pain and the results were negative. Apparently, because I continued to run last year with the stress fracture on my foot, I had begun to compensate (I could have told you that just from observing my stride) for the pain and had begun to put more pressure on my left leg and my knee had taken the brunt of it. I continue to have the knee pain and so I am continuously aware of it and do what I need to do to alleviate it.

I have gone snowboarding several times this winter ( I know! I know! the knee pain ....) and have had a great time. Having an SUV now has made a real difference, especially one with 4-wheel drive.

I have kept active and have been exploring my options for this year as far as running events. I decided that running 5 marathons in a year (2007) was a bit excessive, especially for a beginner and so I have decided that this year I will only run my two favorite marathons - SF in August and CIM in December. The former a real killer as there are nothing but hills and the latter a very flat and fast course. In between those, I have several half-marathons planned as well as several 10 and 12ks. There's also lots of snow left up in Tahoe ... so .... see you out there somewhere.....

My first race will be the half-marathon in Santa Cruz in April .... stay tuned ......

Rachel

About Me

----I can honestly say that I am happy where I am today and very,very content to be in the place that I am in right now. This is probably the happiest I have been in years.
I am a divorced mother of two, and I am first and foremost a mother to my two beautiful daughters. Secondly, I am a runner (www.facebook.com/lifeinthedayofarunner)with the objective of running the American River 50, the Western 100 and maybe someday a Half Ironman and if I'm still kickin' then maybe someday a full Ironman. Thirdly, I am an English teacher. I love my job and get a lot of satisfaction from what I do. I have an amazing job teaching high school English and in the evenings, teaching English at the local Community College. Both are equally challenging and inspiring and I receive a lot of satisfaction from both. Lastly, I am a warrior, waging a war against the invisible enemy that attempts to destroy my body with rheumatoid arthritis. In my spare time(I know... there isn't much left), I run and train for races by logging miles in town or by going up to the hills and training there. I am a survivor...